1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a lighting circuit, in particular with LED light sources, for making vehicle lights.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is known in the art, some light sources (LEDs in particular) are supplied by manufacturers classified according to their voltage, flow category, or flow selection. The term “voltage selection” refers to a voltage range within which the junction voltage characteristic of a category lies, as obtained by supplying the LED with its nominal current. The phrase “a light source having a certain flow selection” means that the source, when driven at nominal voltage, emits a luminous flow variable within a specific and limited predefined range.
In some applications (for example, in LED lighting for vehicle lights), the LED light sources of the lighting circuit are generally placed on separate electronic lighting circuit boards. In order for the electronic lighting circuit boards to have the same electric and photometric behaviour throughout the operating range of supply voltages, the lighting circuit must include lighting circuit boards fitting light sources having the same voltage and flow selection. From a practical point of view, this requires connecting the circuit boards mechanically during the SMT soldering process of the electric components to the circuit boards. However, this imposes restrictions and constraints with respect to the relative geometric position of the circuit boards. The circuit boards must be assembled simultaneously and must therefore comply with certain restrictions imposed by the wiring and positioning, restrictions during in-line assembly of the light, and material and process costs (because a selective soldering process must be provided for the mechanical soldering connection of the circuit boards). As a result, there is a need in the art to have greater flexibility in the production of the electronic circuit boards and reduced difficulty in the in-line assembly of the light.